How Gabby Reynolds’ sophomore growth has made her a leader for George Washington

Less than a month after McCombs’ departure, GWU announced the hiring of Ganiyat Adeduntan on March 20. Adeduntan recruited Reynolds while she was the head coach at Colgate, and she’d always liked Reynolds’ game. She saw skill sets she likes to coach and have within her system, and was excited to have the opportunity to coach Reynolds. Adeduntan asked Reynolds to meet her the day she arrived on campus.  

“I met with her that evening, and we just had a really great conversation,” Reynolds told The IX Basketball. “I had a feeling that she had really pure intentions; she was a relationship-driven coach, and she wants what’s best for me on and off the court. 

“And she’s shown that with not just her words, but her actions as well. And so when we had that conversation, it was very eye-opening for me, and I didn’t have to second-guess it at all. I actually told her … I think it was the next day. I was like … ‘I’m all in, and I’m excited to see what you have to build here.’”

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At the age of 7, Reynolds started playing basketball at the local YMCA. Reynolds was naturally athletic and always had a ball in her hand. While dribbling came easily to her, shooting was something she had to work on. 

At age 9, Reynolds realized she wanted to play college basketball, and over the years, watching Kelsey Mitchell, Arike Ogunbowale and Sabrina Ionescu further inspired her to want to do so.

After she received her first offer her freshman year of high school, she knew playing in college was a dream she could accomplish. Getting the offer also helped her realize the potential she had, and she began meeting with her trainer, Jorddan Myrick, almost every day. 

During the summer before Reynolds’ freshman season at GWU, then sophomore Kamari Sims noticed that Reynolds asked a lot of questions. Sims saw how much Reynolds wanted to learn more about basketball and know how the team operated, and how doing that helped Reynolds.

“Gabby likes to learn and grow every day,” Sims told The IX basketball. “So, just asking the upperclassmen and the coaches that had been here for a while, just about little things, either offensive or defensively, that showed that she wanted to know more and definitely just keep continuing to grow her freshman year.”

As a freshman, Reynolds averaged 10.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 steals and was named to the Atlantic 10’s All-Rookie team. 

“I didn’t have … a terrible freshman year, but I knew that I had more in me,” Reynolds said. 

This season, Sims has seen Reynolds flourish after Reynolds shifted from being a point guard to her more natural position as a shooting guard.

“I love playing at the 2,” Reynolds said. “I feel like that was actually hard for me last year … being the facilitator. In high school, I was never really the facilitator. I did play at the 1, but that’s not … my true position. … [Being] at the 2 throughout this year has been really good for me.”

Reynolds is averaging 13.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game this season. 

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Reynolds believes she’s been able to better implement feedback this season. During GWU’s Dec. 21 game against Northwestern, Adeduntan talked to Reynolds about the adjustments she wanted to see from her. Reynolds finished the game with 21 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block.  

“When I was talking to her there in the first half, and even in the locker room, it was all head nods, like, ‘Yeah, yep, got it. Yep, let’s go.’ And that’s how she came back out,” Adeduntan told reporters after the game. “There was no defeat in her. It was like, ‘Okay, I know I gotta be better.’ … And she wasn’t just better offensively. … She was aggressive defensively for us, helped us get rebounds as well.”  

In Adeduntan’s early conversations with Reynolds, she talked about the areas she saw an opportunity for Reynolds to improve, including shot selection. Going into her sophomore season, Reynolds wanted to be more efficient on offense.

Reynolds always knew she was capable of being a good shooter, but finding her rhythm and confidence to knock down shots more efficiently has helped her this season. 

In the offseason, Reynolds spent a lot of time using a shooting machine called The Gun, which eliminates the need for a human rebounder. She also spent time shooting around the court to learn what shots are “great” for her, working with her coaching staff and with Myrick when she was home during breaks. 

Last season, Reynolds shot 34.9% from the floor, 38.6% on 2-pointers and 28.2% on 3-pointers. This season, she is shooting 44.3% from the floor, 49.6% on 2-pointers and 36.4% on 3-pointers. 

After Adeduntan saw the hard work Reynolds put in and how much she wanted to get better, she challenged Reynolds to be a better two-way player. 

“I thought she was very much reliant on just going through the motions on the defensive end and wanted to play as hard as she can on the offensive end,” Adeduntan told The IX Basketball. “… And she rose to the occasion. She responded to the challenge. And now she’s rebounding at a high clip. She’s defending a lot better. She has a lot more intensity on that side of the floor.”

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Knowing there’s always something to improve on and having the opportunity to get better every day make basketball fun for Reynolds. In addition to watching film with her coaches to get better, Reynolds is in the gym at all hours getting shots up by herself or with teammates she’s encouraged to come with her. 

“She loves the grind. She loves getting better,” Sims said. “She loves working on things that’s going well for her and that’s not going well for her. She loves her pull-up game, so she’s constantly working on pull-up moves, counter moves and things like that. … 

“She’s just constantly in the gym. And I think you can see that throughout her game. … The shots that she’s able to knock down off the move and how quick she’s able to hit shots doesn’t just happen randomly in the game. It shows that she works off the court.”

In the team’s Dec. 6 game against Brown, Reynolds went 7-for-8 from the free throw line over the last 97 seconds to score the Revolutionaries’ final 7 points and secure the win. 

After the game, Adeduntan told reporters that the team spends time during and outside of practice shooting free throws. 

“You gotta see that ball go in. Your confidence is built by the work that you put in,” she said. “And … Gabby puts in work — so that’s why she was able to do that.”

This season, Adeduntan has seen Reynolds lead by example and work on using her voice. In huddles during practices and games, Reynolds speaks up about not just what she sees and expects for herself, but also what the team should do.

“She’s being a lot more intentional with speaking up. ‘Cause she’s smart, she understands the game and [is] trying to help others … in an encouraging and also in a constructive way,” Adeduntan said. 

Sims has seen the growth in Reynolds’ leadership as well. 

“I feel like last year it was a bit tough as a freshman, running point guard, trying to direct the team and just being comfortable having that voice off the court,” Sims said. “… I’m not gonna say she didn’t talk at all freshman year, but there’s definitely been huge steps this year with her leadership on the court and off the court.”

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Reynolds spends a lot of time with her teammates, hanging out and making jokes, but when it’s time to be serious, she is there as someone who can offer advice or listen. Sims believes the relationships Reynolds has built off the court translate to the court and make it easier for her to offer praise or criticism.  

“Whenever … [she’s] telling you things that you did wrong or that you did good … you’ll just be able to take it on, because you know that … Gabby is … coming from a good place,” Sims said. 

Reynolds wears No. 1 not only to remind herself to play like the best player on the court, but also because she never wants to be second to anyone. 

Ahead of this season, Reynolds was named to the preseason all-conference second team, and while she hopes to see her name on the end-of-season awards list, she’s focused on getting better and helping her team improve. Adeduntan hopes that if Reynolds keeps working hard, she’ll be able to help the team become one of the best in the Atlantic 10 Conference. 

With more than two seasons of college basketball left, Adeduntan wants Reynolds to continue to be a go-to player for the Revolutionaries on both sides of the floor. She also wants to see Reynolds add to her skillset so she’s able to continue to be effective when opposing teams try to take something away. Adeduntan believes that Reynolds has the potential to be one of the best players in the A-10. 

Sims has enjoyed seeing Reynolds step up and grow this season, especially after their discussions about their expectations for the team and themselves this season. 

“It’s like … watching my sister flourish,” Sims said. “And it makes me feel really good, and it pushes me to be better as well. And, yeah, I’m … excited for where she will take this team … and where she’ll take herself.”